What we discovered is Laguna Beach is very picturesque with lovely beaches and a fantastically scenic coastline.

It also seems like quite a dog-friendly place, with dogs being allowed on-leash on the beaches in the off season.

We enjoyed a stroll along the seaside resort's streets past the abundance of eateries, shops and art galleries.

Many of the retail outlets even had dog bowls filled with water outside to quench the thirst of our tired pup, which was a friendly gesture I thought.

We meandered into Brown's Park a lovely 'secret garden' type winding alley with spectacular views of Main Beach at the end of the pathway. The secluded park also sported a variety of public art, including these stained-glass wrought-iron balcony fencing adorned with verse.

In this fleeting moment

What extravagant respite

As Promethean sunsets

Blossom, blaze and secede

From splendor to mystery.

In this fleeting moment

What extravagant respite

As booming surf speaks its

Mystical passage across

The undreamed depths.

I'm not sure what the origins of this poem are, maybe it's by a local poet or famous literary figure. Does anyone know?

Also on display in the small park is this charming table and chairs sculpture near the entrance.

It it was a lovely place to be under the blue November skies and busy on the streets and beaches, so I'd imagine in the height of summer the resort is teeming with visitors.

The place seems like quite an arty community with all its galleries and art shops and even the local signs and seating has a more designed and manicured feel to it than in your ordinary town.

The views of the coast from the landscaped parks are amazing and I'm sure we'll be returning to Laguna Beach in the future to explore some more, especially as it seems Cooper will be more than welcome there too.

One thing we'll not do again soon is try to drive back up the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) rather than taking the freeway home.

Hoping to see a bit more of scenic Southern California, insteadwe ended up driving through lots of industrial areas, like Long Beach seaport and experiencing countless traffic lights. Sadly, the Santa Monica to Malibu coastal drive it's not!

Anyway, I'll leave you now with a festive garland to get you in the Christmas spirit considering tomorrow is December (how exactly did that happen?).